1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle maneuver assistance device.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-236881, filed Sep. 16, 2008, Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-236523, filed Sep. 16, 2008, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-236524, filed Sep. 16, 2008, the content of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
In a related art, a steering maneuver assistance device has been known, which displays an image shot by a camera in a rear direction of a vehicle, and, overlaid thereon, a guidance display assisting a parking vehicle maneuver (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication 2001-180405).
This steering maneuver assistance device displays, as the guidance display, a steering maneuver starting guide line that notifies a steering maneuver starting point for the parking maneuver, and an eye-mark that notifies a steering-switching point. The steering-switching point may represent, for example, an appropriate location at which the driver quickly turn the steering in the opposite direction, in order to perform the parking operation. The steering maneuver starting guide line is a line with a predetermined length, while the eye-mark has a circular shape. These signs guide the driver to maneuver the vehicle at the steering maneuver start timing and at the steering-switching start timing, respectively, so that each mark overlaps on positions of the target points that are defined at the far corners in the parking space.
In another related art, a vehicle maneuver assistance device has been known, which displays an image outputted from a camera shooting the vehicle forward direction, and overlaid thereon, a guidance display which assists parking vehicle maneuver, e.g., a guideline showing the estimated course of the vehicle, and another guideline showing the vehicle width, such that the overlaid display can be turned on/off according to the instruction of the operator (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication 2001-6097.
In another related art, a parking assistance device has been known, which assists the operator's parking maneuver by calculating an ideal driving course according to the parking space, and displaying visual diagrams representing this ideal driving course, the ideal steering maneuver angle along this driving course, and the difference amount of the actual steering maneuver angle from the ideal steering maneuver angle (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication H11-283199).
However, the steering maneuver assistance device according to the aforementioned related arts, merely displays the guidance display assisting the maneuver overlaid on the image outputted from the rear camera. Accordingly, as the vehicle position changes while the parking maneuver is performed, there are occasions where the visual recognition of the relationship between the parking space and the guidance display becomes hard. Moreover, it is not easy to maneuver the vehicle so as to match the circular eye-mark and the target points of the parking space. Therefore, there is a problem in that the operator is required to perform a difficult maneuver operation. Moreover, the target points corresponding to the steering maneuver starting guide line and the circular eye-mark are defined in the far corners of the parking space. Therefore, the target points are positioned at a far position in the monitor display and not easy to recognize. Therefore, there is a concern in that the convenience in the maneuver operation is not optimum.
The present invention is achieved in view of the aforementioned circumstances, and a first object thereof is to provide a vehicle maneuver assistance device which appropriately assists the maneuver operation of the operator, and thereby able to increase the convenience.
Moreover, in the steering maneuver assistance device according to the aforementioned related arts, the display on/off of each of the guidelines is designed to be manually switchable according to an operator's instruction. However, even in cases where the required guideline changes according to the status of the vehicle maneuver, unless the operator explicitly inputs such manual commands, unnecessary guidelines are maintained to be displayed. Accordingly, the display becomes unnecessarily complicated, and complicated manipulations for turning off the unwanted guidelines are required.
The present invention is achieved in view of the aforementioned circumstances, and a second object thereof is to provide a vehicle maneuver assistance device which appropriately assists the operator's maneuver operation and increase the convenience.
Moreover, the steering maneuver assistance device according to the aforementioned related arts merely visually displays the ideal steering maneuver angle and the difference amount of the actual steering maneuver angle from the ideal steering maneuver angle. Therefore, the operator is required to continuously check the difference amount of the actual steering maneuver angle, and to perform the steering maneuver so that the difference amount is maintained to be zero. Therefore, there is a problem in that the complicated maneuver operation is required, and that a considerable experience is required to perform appropriate maneuver operations. Moreover, it is not feasible for the operator to particularly recognize the maneuver operation required to perform, which changes depending on the relative locations of the parking space and the vehicle, only from the displayed diagrams related to the steering maneuver angle. It is also not feasible to recognize the sequence of the maneuver operation required to perform from the beginning of the parking maneuver through the completion thereof. Therefore, there is a concern in that an appropriate maneuver operation becomes difficult.
The present invention is achieved in view of the aforementioned circumstances, and a third object thereof is to provide a vehicle maneuver assistance device which enables an appropriate assist of the operator's maneuver operation and an increase of the convenience.